Kigali surpasses 50 mark with EU, Mexico ratifications

Fifty-three signatories have now ratified the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which aims to phase down HFCs globally.

EU depositing its ratification instruments for the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol.

Credit: EU

Fifty-three signatories have now ratified the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on phasing down HFCs worldwide, including the European Union (on 27 September) and Mexico (25 September).

The Kigali Amendment was adopted by 197 parties meeting in the Rwandan capital on 15 October 2016. The amendment sees developed countries take the lead on phasing down HFCs, starting with a 10% reduction in 2019 and delivering an 85% cut in 2036 (compared to a 2011-2013 baseline).

Kigali has already reached the threshold to enter into force, having been ratified by the required 20 parties at the end of 2017.

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We encourage all Parties to the Montreal Protocol to take action on HFCs as soon as possible.” – Miguel Arias Cañete, EU commissioner for climate action and energy

"We encourage all Parties to the Montreal Protocol to take action on HFCs as soon as possible,” said Miguel Arias Cañete, the EU commissioner for climate action and energy. “Delivering on the Kigali commitments will play a vital role in our global efforts to tackle climate change, as well as driving innovation and creating new economic opportunities in the refrigeration and air conditioning sector.”

So far out of the European Union's 28 member states 17 countries have ratified Kigali. More countries are expected to ratify, separately from the EU ratification, in the coming months.

The EU has also been actively phasing down HFCs since 2015 and is already ahead of the Kigali HFC phase-down schedule. The overall allocated quota of HFCs in the EU fell from 93% of the original baseline to only 63% between 2017 and 2018.

Mexico ratifies

Mexico is yet to put in place regulation on phasing down HFCs, Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) Minister Rafael Pacchiano Alamán is confident the North American country will phase down its consumption of 30,000 tons of HFCs, mainly found in its refrigeration and air conditioning systems.

These 30,000 tons translate into 49.6 megatons of CO2 equivalent, according to Pacchiano Alamán.